The Flakes Podcast

A Christmas Snow Miracle… For Some! 🎄❄️ It’s a Christmas Eve special on The Flakes Podcast, and while some regions are still sweating through record-breaking warmth, others are waking up to a full-blown holiday snow miracle. BA, Evan, and Mike break down a wildly uneven Christmas forecast across North America: • Historic warmth and jaw-dropping temperature records in Utah and Colorado • A long-awaited storm cycle finally slamming California, with Tahoe, Mammoth, and the Sierra eyeing multi-foot totals • Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies continuing to quietly dominate the snowfall leaderboard • Surprise post-Christmas snow potential in the Northeast • Flooding, snow-level whiplash, and why “miracle” storms can still come with serious hazards The crew also dives into season-to-date snowfall leaders, shifting snowpack trends, and what a classic La Niña pattern means for where to chase powder as we head into January. Plus: heli-ski dreams in British Columbia, why patience is key after a big dump on bare ground, and a reminder to show some love to the crews working through the holidays to make skiing possible. A white Christmas isn’t guaranteed everywhere — but for some lucky spots, winter has officially arrived. 🎅⛷️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forecast stress is real — and this week, it’s off the charts. In Episode 4, BA and Evan break down a messy pattern across the West: warm atmospheric rivers, flooding and washed-out access roads in Washington, and snow levels bouncing around resort elevations from Tahoe to Utah. Translation: there’s moisture, there’s potential… and there’s a giant asterisk. They also spotlight where winter is showing up (hello, British Columbia and a banner start in northern Vermont), then Evan sits down with Tahoe skier Maya Bickert to talk skiing, travel, and living (and thriving) with Type 1 diabetes — plus how to support loved ones and push back on misconceptions. And as always: be kind to your local forecaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the West keeps waiting for winter to show up, Bryan’s beard is getting longer… which, if you follow Tahoe lore, is not a good sign. This week the crew takes a cross-country tour of where the snow actually fell—from JP’s monster totals to fresh storms in the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Montana, and interior BC. Evan debates a spontaneous powder mission north of the border, Mike breaks down why the Northern Rockies keep winning, and Bryan accidentally transforms into Santa while filling out government forms. The gang also shares first impressions of OpenSnow’s new PEAKS AI forecast system and cautiously circles a glimmer of hope for a pattern shift as Christmas approaches. Lighthearted, mildly chaotic, and full of weather nerdery—just another week on The Flakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La Niña is acting more like Hot Nina this December, leaving Tahoe dry while the Northern Rockies and Northeast cash in on cold and snow. The Flakes crew breaks down who’s getting the goods, who’s stuck waiting, and why the long-range forecast is so tricky this season. Grab your Smartwool, thank Alta for the Flakes Podcast Bump™️, and join us every Wednesday morning as we chase the season’s first real storm cycle. Winter will come… right? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Winter is off to a weird start… and the Flakes are back to make sense of it. In the Season 6 premiere, we dive into one of the strangest early-season patterns in years: warm storms, delayed openings, disappearing forecasts, and a desert southwest that somehow has more snow than the northern Rockies. We break down what’s happening, why the models can’t agree, and whether the long-range “fantasyland” holds any hope for real powder. Plus: ❄️ Why Arizona is at 600%+ snowpack ❄️ Why the West can’t get cold enough to even make snow ❄️ The strongest Arctic stratospheric warming event since 1968 ❄️ What ski regions might actually score snow next ❄️ The new OpenSnow tools for tracking storms Grab your Smartwool, thank Alta for the Flakes Podcast Bump™️, and join us every Wednesday morning as we chase the season’s first real storm cycle. Winter will come… right? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices